The Daily Grind: What was the best MMO emulator or rogue server in 2020?
Fun fact: We came up with "rogue server" last year in an attempt to disambiguate the word "emulator" and remove some of the whitewash from "player server," and this year I saw another site use the term. Yay we made rogue server happen. Small victories? Anyhow, last year, the City of Heroes community saw no […]
MMO Week in Review: MMOs at the edge of 2021, from Crimson Desert to Gates of Oblivion
While many PC and console gamers were obsessed with Cyberpunk 2077's launch this week, the MMO industry was busy delivering its outlook for the year to come: Elder Scrolls Online's Gates of Oblivion, Crimson Desert's launch goals, Elite Dangerous Odyssey, Black Desert's Nova, and Elyon's western rollout. That's a lot to look forward to, even […]
The Game Archaeologist's ultimate MMO archives v4.0
By far, my favorite column to write here at Massively OP (and the one that always takes the longest) is The Game Archaeologist. I've been doing this in one form or another for about eight years now, and I still haven't run out of material from the MMORPG genre's crazy and shadowy past to dust […]
The MOP Up: Harry Potter Wizards Unite fights the heavy-hitters
You better bring your A-game and your B-wand to Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, because you're going to be in the virtual fight of your life. This is thanks to the new Adversaries feature, which introduces familiar foes from the Wizarding World. "If you're successful in battling your way to the final opponent, you'll find yourself […]
Jukebox Heroes: Diving into Shadowlands' soundtrack
Any year that we get a new World of Warcraft expansion soundtrack is always a great reason to rejoice. Blizzard never skimps on its art department — nor its music one, as evidenced by the amazing scores that WoW has produced over the years. Because of my high expectations, I can't help but feel somewhat […]
Guild Wars 2 on server performance: 'We're seeing more success'
If your Guild Wars 2 experience has seemed smoother and less fraught with performance issues as of late, that's not your optimistic mind deluding itself. ArenaNet reported this week that it is finally witnessing progress with the backend work that's been going on for a couple of months now. "Back in October we let you […]
Massively OP's 2020 Awards: Most Improved MMO
MassivelyOP's end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for Most Improved MMO, which was awarded to Black Desert last year. All live MMOs, regardless of release date, were eligible for this award, provided they made the improvements they're being feted for this year. Don't forget to cast your own vote in the just-for-fun […]
One Shots: Gaming in the Before Times
The beginning of 2020 seems so, so very long ago now, doesn't it? It's strange to think back to a time when we could walk maskless into a 7-11, press our oily faces right against the hot dog roller display, and touch all the things. Last week's screenshot challenge asked MOP readers to comb back […]
The Daily Grind: How quickly do you aim for the level cap in MMOs?
It's rare for me to not be done with the leveling in a Final Fantasy XIV expansion or a World of Warcraft expansion in a couple of days. This is intentional. While I'm not going for any sort of server first or world records, the fact of the matter is that these games are something I need […]
Make My MMO: Elite Dangerous lifer? You're getting Odyssey's deluxe edition for free
This week in MMO crowdfunding, Elite Dangerous managed to outshine Star Citizen's $600 ship by opening preorders for next year's Odyssey expansion and setting the announcement trailer to Space Oddity. Granted, the preorders were a typical Frontier mess, but still, nicely done. And the studio didn't stop there: It posted its final round of balancing […]
Corepunk MMORPG delays its closed beta until next spring
While it should come as no surprise to anyone looking at a calendar, the Corepunk closed beta ain't happening this month as once promised. Developer Artificial Core announced that it's delaying the CBT until next spring, thanks to COVID, Shadowlands, and Cyberpunk 2077. At least you can console yourself with Corepunk's Q4 020 newsletter, which […]
Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida pens heartfelt goodbye to the late Dad of Light blogger
Remember the Dad of Light TV drama that debuted on Netflix a few years ago? It told the story of Akio and his father Hakutaro and how they used the vehicle of playing Final Fantasy XIV as a means of connecting with one another after a distant relationship, though Akio disguises his true identity initially. […]
The Stream Team: Participating in Astroneer's Project Cheer 2020
If there is one thing 2020 could sure use more of, it's cheer. And Astroneer is delivering with its Project Cheer for the holidays — just not where it was supposed to! Massively OP's MJ and friends will be heading back into the cutest survival game ever in order to collect the gifts strewn all […]
Massively OP's 2020 Awards: Best MMO Event of 2020
MassivelyOP's end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for Best MMO Event of 2020, which was awarded last year to AdventureQuest 3D for its KORN and Alice in Chains concerts. In previous years, we've expanded this award beyond holidays to include studio-led and player-led events across the whole spectrum of the genre. After […]
Black Desert unveils new Nova class, Pearl Abyss takes over western PC publishing
The digital Calpheon Ball has come and gone for Black Desert, and it's brought with it the reveal of a devastating-looking new class. Say hello to Nova, the Eternally Blazing Star, which is set to arrive on December 22nd on PC, console, and mobile simultaneously, with pre-creation available on December 16th. "Brandishing a shield with […]
WRUP: Motorcycle fighter prestige class edition
Base Requirements: Probably should be some. The presence of motorcycles is important. Let's just say +5 BAB? Hit Dice: Oh, yeah, those are super important, you gotta have those. Primary Attribute: Charisma Favorite Cookie: Macaroon Attack Bonus: +something Saves: Save save save, girl, you know you've got to save, save save save Level 1: When […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO does the best at self-effacing humor?
That picture right up there might be the very first time that I've ever seen an EVE Online character portrayed with an actual smile. Every other portrait seems like grim people forgetting the joy and excitement of being astronauts going on grand galactic adventures. Anyway, this made me think of how much I appreciate it […]
The Stream Team: A look at Warframe's Deimos: Arcana update
Massively OP's MJ is taking a short break from The Glassmaker investigation so she can check out the latest Warframe update, The Deimos: Arcana. With more underground levels and Isolation Vault bounties, she has the opportunity to face new creatures and gain new rewards. Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. to return to Deimos. What: Warframe […]
Betawatch: Dual Universe's beta purge
No one likes feeling like playing a game's beta is a grind, and no one likes losing access to a beta unexpectedly. So it's a bit of a bad look that Dual Universe has managed to hit both of those milestones, with players complaining about the grind even as they note some accounts being nixed for supposedly […]
Astroneer's graphics boost and holiday update are live – do you wanna build a spaceman?
Well this might just be the cutest thing I've seen all day, but then again I'm writing this at 11 a.m. and the day is far from done, so let's see what else you got, MMOs and MMO adjacent titles. Right now, my eyes are on Astroneer, whose holiday update is live now with tons […]
Monster Hunter Rise shows off a new area, new beasts, and returning foes in a trailer
The upcoming multiplayer RPG Monster Hunter Rise was present at last night's Game Awards, joining in on the cavalcade of trailer premieres. The game's latest video offered fans a lot of action and some pretty music to go along with it. In the video, players get a look at two new beasties: Bishaten, which uses […]
Winter holiday events in Runes of Magic, AQ3D, Blades, SWGemu, Destiny 2, Champions Online
While our big winter holiday MMO roundup event isn't coming out until next week, the snowflakes are piling up around us anyway and we've got to start digging out! Here are a few of the events you might want to spend your December doing: Champions Online – This one's already live: "It's the most wonderful […]
Bless Unleashed highlights UI and UX adjustments coming to PC in the next closed beta
With the next PC closed beta looming for Bless Unleashed, the devs are keen to showcase how they're making changes to accommodate players on the platform. Previously, there was talk about general gameplay adjustments, but in the latest post it's all about the UI and UX experience. A number of mouse-specific UI features will be […]
League of Legends releases its new champion Rell the Iron Maiden
Ready for some heavy metal? Then you're ready for Rell, the latest League of Legends champion. As we've mentioned before, Rell is a tank support character who uses her ferromancy magical powers to mold metal either into a hulking suit of armor or a fast-moving metallic steed. For those who are looking for a rundown […]
Activision did not really ban a 6-year-old gamer trying to stream Warzone with his dad
We've updated this story at the end. In short, this family was fibbing for internet cred. One of the best parts of having little kids is slowly bringing them into some of your favorite games, especially MMOs and co-op games where you can play with them and teach them the ropes. But as every parent […]
The Stream Team: Bush whacking and lich challenges in AdventureQuest 3D
It's bush whacking time! On top of that, it's also lich whacking time! Not only is Massively OP's MJ finally level 31 and able to partake in the lich challenge to defeat Noxus (again), but AQ3D has also released the big bush bash update. Remember those golden cards from beating the giant bush before? Now […]
World of Warcraft's factionless panda DoubleAgent hits level 60
Pandaren were the first and thus far only race added to World of Warcraft not automatically signed onto a faction upon creation; you started on the Wandering Isle and had to pick your faction at the end of a quest chain. The player of DoubleAgent decided to eschew that choice, and thus the panda in question […]
Ask Mo: The hits and misses of MassivelyOP's 2020 predictions
Last December, when we sat down to write out our annual MMO predictions for 2020, I don't think anyone had "biggest global pandemic in a century disrupts everything and makes gaming really weird." So nope, we're not fortune tellers here. We know MMOs, but there are some things you'd need to have been an epidemiologist […]
Lord of the Rings Online now lets you change your character's race
If your Lord of the Rings Online Dwarf secretly yearns to walk in the secret ways of the Elves, or if your Hobbit would like to finally grow up and become a Man, then there's good news on that front. Apparently LOTRO got into the business of extreme plastic surgery because now there's a way […]
Massively OP's 2020 Awards: Best MMO Trend of 2020
MassivelyOP's end-of-the-year awards for 2020 continue today with our award for Best MMO Trend of 2020, which last year went to the rise of rogue servers. This award is meant to highlight a pervasive trend that we can identify and actually appreciate seeing in the industry. Don't forget to cast your own vote in the […]
Check out Star Citizen's new crow-shaped spaceships arriving in update 3.12
In Star Citizen's penultimate episode of its weekly video series, fans of the developing title are getting a close look at some (literally) shiny new ships and a host of other features in the works for update 3.12 and beyond. Leading the episode is a close look at the Talon and Talon Shrike, two light […]
WoW Factor: The strange diegetics of the Shadowlands
So hey, everyone may be totally immortal right now in World of Warcraft. That seems like a thing we should examine now, huh? I freely admit that this week I just mostly feel like being a little silly and don't have something serious to pick at. So as is often the case in that situation, I […]
Fallout 76's next season begins on December 15 as fans fight in-character wars and raise money for charity
The Game Awards have roared on by, leaving in its wake moments of cringe, reason for people to debate the award winners, and (perhaps more importantly) a bunch of trailers. One such trailer comes from Fallout 76, which is primarily a rundown of its past year of updates along with some self-back patting, but the […]
Mad World drops a new gameplay video, doesn't appear to be launching this year
So, Mad World. Hi. What the heck is going on with you? We've been watching this Jandisoft game for literally years now: It's the isometric, grimdark MMO that was supposed to launch on Steam in 2018, then planned an alpha in 2019, then announced another delay following a publishing deal with Netmarble. This past summer, […]
Cyberpunk 2077 appears to have the biggest PC launch of all time
It turns out a lot of people want to live in a cybernetic dystopia other than the one we are presently engaged with, based on the pre-orders for Cyberpunk 2077. Developer CD Projekt Red has shared some statistics, and among others it looks like the game is currently in the second-place spot for digital sales on launch […]
Warframe jumps onto the Epic Game Store with a free weapon bundle
Warframe can't be stopped. We all know this. We've all seen the prophecies that show us how the popular shooter will spread to all of the corners of the universe until being caught not playing Warframe will result in instant execution. So just accept the fact that this online RPG is now available on the […]
The Daily Grind: What was the most painful MMO sunset of 2020?
We've had some brutal years for MMORPG sunsets. But surprisingly, this wasn't one of them. I mean, yes, we lost games, but not as many, and none of the truly big ones. I mean, sure, bungled games like Crucible made headlines, but how many of you even remember that 2020 was the year Frostkeep shuttered […]
The StreamTeam: A Bargain of Blood in Dungeons and Dragons Online
Massively OP's MJ: Celebrating the season with Pirates! For the next adventure in DDO's pirate saga ("Bargain of Blood"), the D&D night crew was hired by merchants of Stormreach to thwart the pirates of the Blood Tide who are ransacking ships and then selling the goods back at their own Bargain Bazaar. Can the crew […]
Massively Overthinking: The best and worst MMO developer quotes of 2020
We have a fun end-of-the-year tradition on MOP to recap the best and worst MMO developer quotes of the year. In fact, I keep a little list of them as we go so I have them ready when this post comes along – both the quotes that give us hope for the genre and the […]
Elder Scrolls Online's Gates of Oblivion, Crimson Desert's big reveal, ARK 2, and Elite Dangerous Odyssey preorders
We're updating the end with the big news and videos as they roll in! Even as our own awards have begun rolling out, the broader industry is feasting tonight on Geoff Keighley's Game Awards, which have spiked in prominence (the NYT apparently called it "the Oscars for the gaming world") over the last few years […]
Valorant patches in map adjustments and a snowball fight, joins in on a digital art and music festival
It looks like the multiplayer shooter Valorant is keen on trying to balance being a competitive video game as well as a digital place for social happenings. Much like a certain other shooter. Keep chasing that dragon, guys; you almost got its tail. On the video game side of the coin, the latest patch has […]
The Cycle's 3.5 season extension blankets part of the game world in Christmas cheer
Happy patch week for fans of the early access MMOFPS The Cycle: Developer Yager has released Season 3.5, an extension for the third season dubbed Stormchasers. Notably for the hardest core players, 3.5 includes 50 more Fortuna Pass levels (if you'd already paid for the Fortuna pass, the new stuff is included), along with new outfits, […]
RuneScape unleashes Raksha the Shadow Colossus of Orthen, OSRS unleashes Christmas
One game has deigned to drop a colossal boss monster. The other has unfurled its holiday plans. Which one sounds like a cozier time to you? You've got your choice in RuneScape and Old School RuneScape as both games have had some pretty sizeable updates today, even if they are thematically divergent. Until you picture […]
Final Fantasy XI brings out new story and new Ambuscade foes with its latest update
Enjoying the Voracious Resurgence storyline in Final Fantasy XI, either for the story itself or just because it's more story content when the game seemed destined not to receive any more of that? Because the latest version update has arrived, and that means more Voracious Resurgence as well as the usual monthly cycle of new Ambuscade […]
ArcheAge brings new Chronicles quests, reopens Auroria, and adds a new community center December 17
Mark your calendars, ArcheAge players: Thursday, December 17th, is bringing a new content update with a host of new things to explore and experience for both ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained. At the top of the list is the expansion of the Chronicles quest line series as players are tasked to learn more about a presence […]
Titan Reach shares details of its quest system, new armor, and new map in latest dev blog
Titan Reach is starting to make good on its promise of more communication as the devs of the old-school-styled MMORPG have posted a fresh new development blog to showcase some of its progress. First on the list is work on a new questing system that can allow the team at Square Root Studios to put […]
Blade & Soul's final major update of the year includes a new specialization and heroic dungeon
The last update for Blade & Soul this year arrives on December 16th, and it brings with it a third specialization for Blade Dancer. The new Way of the Grim Blade allows you to summon a spectral Grimreaver to join in on your slashes, with its attacks assured of causing nightmares. That seems less effective than […]
Dual Universe releases 0.23 beta patch as players lament grind and invalid keys
Dual Universe studio Novaquark patched up the beta this week, adding a range of quality-of-life and economy fixes with its 0.23 release. Most notably and as promised by the company's earlier dev blog, the patch notes include ship canopies, internal schematic banks for industry units, better map drill-downs, graphical improvements, changes to buy orders, tweaks […]
Vague Patch Notes: Defining the vague mass that is the MMO community
The community is important when it comes to talking about an MMO. This is an established fact; I wrote an entire column about how the community both is and is not an MMO, after all. But the tricky element when discussing it is partly that just "the community" is already a vague and amorphous concept. […]
MMO Business Roundup: Twitch's anti-hate policies, Cyberpunk's concurrency, and the CASE Act
Welcome back to our irregular roundup of MMO (and MMO-adjacent) industry news! Twitch: This week, Twitch introduced yet another round of policy changes in regard to conduct on the streaming platform. The updated Hateful Conduct and Harassment Policy, which takes effect on January 22nd, specifically defines harassment as targeted attacks designed to "disrupt, harm and […]
